The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1887-08-18
DEPENDENT PENSION BILL.


A BayIc-Hlnst from Gen. A. Sanders Patt.
FpIroR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: What is meant
nv the title of she proposed relief 10 the soldier
IL it. q slur upon him2 Does IL propose under
the cover Of the term dependent" 10 cast a
stigma on the brave men who sacrificed every
thing home, business health aud liier What
II apnicd 10 one Is applied to all who went 10
the front aud gave their unqualified support 10
the Nation in It's hour of distress. Thousands
of them to-day are helpless from exposure In
the seryice--eEpOsure which did not manifest
It's results until long after the struggle had
ceased What is the remedy for this eyll2 is
il the Pension Burcau2 j think not. While
il effects good, yet through its slow and tardy
process it does not reach the wrong 10 be cor
recied The remedy should be prompt and
Just. What the soldier wants is settlement
of his claims against the Government. il is
not aims he is 10 receive but his Just dues.
The terms Of the contract that lac entered into
with the Government when he went TO the
front he complied with and fulfilled, but the
Government never did perform its part. Sin
gular TO say, p years have elapsed and II never
has hinted at a settlement. and never viii un-
less the soldiers and their friends in their
might through the ballot box demand its full
fillment Had the Government in its dealings
treated al alike--soldier aud civilian--lt might
be a season for silence on this question. The
brave heart of the soldier recognized the peril
and difficulty under which the Government
was placed in the hour OF struggle, and he qui-
etly submitted 10 what was given him without
question But this Is no reason for not ad ust-
ing the amount due him; for, looking back
to-day aud viewing the hesituatiOn from the close
of the war to the present, we find that while
they offer TO the soldier teaspoOnful Of thin
cruel as palliation for his sufierings and sacri-
fees, they have and are pouring into the lap
of gentlemen who staid at home and grew
rich upon the purchase of bonds the abun'
dance of Cr0esus. Let Us contrast the situa-
tiOn as between the n0n-payment of the
soldiers dues and the gifts TO these
gentlemen who purchased the bonds at
30 cents on the dollar. at the face value in
gold. The first gift WAS the release Of taxa
tiOn on the investment. The second, was the
strengthening act of 1869 that made the face
of the bond gold, and thus by scratch of the
pen put millions of dollars in these gentle
mems pockets The third favor was the pass
age of the National Bank Law, that added 80
per cent. 10 the bonds. with the Endorsement
of the Government that made the corporate
note Tor debt OF the bank money-all Of which
favOrs summed up SO enhanced the value OF
the bond in the market that the premium on
ID is about 25 per cent.-adding fourth more
20 its original face-valne. I'm the name of all
that is deSp0tic, could greater favOrs be shown
20 class by Government? Las the Car OF Rus
6la zone mofef mas Tue ehete uespotlelh ol
the Old World ever gone TO n greater extent
with its nObles2 in the face of all this they
offer 20 the soldier an insult in the shape of a
dependency, that literally makes a paupeT OF
him. liz is not enough that they refuse him
Justice in the fulflment of the contract, but
they must use opprobrious terms to him while
doing out the stipend they offer j repeat,
the gentlemen who offer this insult must not
forget that it is moi applied to part, but to all
alike We, as comrades, stand upon the same
platform. What the soldier requires is settle
ment Of just claims-no more no less. The
rl-i--~sssss SotRftes Ten0ereQ the IIOVern-
ment under contract. j would suggest ia set
Element, let the Government in the spirit Of
the original contract make its face gold in
payment, with interest on the balance due,
from date of enlistment. This, believe. would
be simply justice.--A. SANDERS PIATT, Mac-a-
check, O.